Construction sites are some of the most dangerous places in the world. Couple a job site with the general public and they’re disasters waiting to happen. According to the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, 579 people were killed in highway work-zone related accidents in just 2013 alone. Equipment, machines, and clothing are becoming “smarter” every day, even things we never thought about as technology, such as the recent development of the smart hard hat. Tapping into technology allows users greater and easier access to ever important data and, in some instances, safer work environments.

With the ever improving technology of vehicles, the Virginia Tech team also hopes to integrate communication between the vest and cars driving by with the use of short range radio signals. That would add to the safety features of the vest by also alerting the driver of the vehicle that they are in immediate danger of causing an accident.

Initial tests of the InZone Alert system have wielded success rates of 90 percent. The higher the percentage, the better, because frequent false alarms would result in users ignoring the alarms or greatly reducing job site productivity. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has been conducting testing of the vest on the Virginia Smart Road in Blacksburg, VA, which is a closed course test road for research purposes.

Tracking progress on any jobsite is extremely important for your schedule and budget. But, as the project grows larger, tracking progress becomes that much more difficult. How do you accurately determine the percentage of work that the subcontractors have completed across 10 stories and hundreds of thousands of square feet?

10 years ago, the most computer knowledge any construction company would require of its applicants was a basic understanding of Microsoft Excel or a scheduling software. Now, construction companies are finally getting wise to the fact that project management and document management software like Procore, Bluebeam, and PlanGrid can provide an efficiency boost to their projects. Because of this, many employers now have job openings that require knowledge of their software of choice.

If you’ve never used that specific software, how can you make yourself eligible for that role?

At the World of Concrete 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Bosch unveiled a world’s first in the form of their 15-Amp Corded GSH27-26 Brute Turbo Breaker Hammer with integrated GPS tracking. While many tool manufacturers have begun adding Bluetooth technology to tools, like Milwaukee’s One-Key and DeWalt’s Tool Connect, there is a limit to what Bluetooth can do. Mainly, the user has to be within about 100 feet of their Bluetooth enables tool to be able to use any of the features.

Starting this year, PlanGrid users and others interested in the world of construction technology will be able to attend an annual construction summit hosted by the company. Several other construction project management software companies have successfully implemented this type of yearly conference in the past, such as Procore Groundbreak and Bluebeam eXtreme. The in-person events are designed to get the software’s users to meet, interact, share tips, and learn from experts.

The construction industry has been notoriously slow to adopt new technology, so much so that we’re probably –and sadly- keeping the fax machine industry afloat single-handedly. Heck, half of you are probably reading this article on a computer still using Windows 2000. I kid. However, Silicon Valley has recently zeroed in on the construction world, because they’ve realized it’s one of the least tapped into markets on the planet and there are billions of dollars up for grabs. That’s not a bad thing, either.

Creating and tracking submittals on a construction project can be a pain-staking process. Many times, each submittal is tracked manually via emails or spreadsheet, which leaves companies vulnerable to allowing certain ones to fall through the cracks. Factor in lead times on materials and it could cost your project valuable schedule days or expedited shipping fees, not to mention hours that the office staff spends tracking down paperwork.

Smartphones have replaced a lot of different objects and materials on today’s construction site. They’re used for pictures, video and audio recording, and note taking, among many other uses. Beyond the typical functions most phones already have incorporated within them, there is now a significant market of accessories designed to make your phone even more useful on the construction jobsite.

We’ve compiled a list of 5 different accessories that you can buy to further enhance the power of your smartphone for construction.

The construction industry has historically been slow to adapt to new technologies, but with a recent push from Silicon Valley, a lot of money is being poured into research and development. Just a few short years ago, robotics on the construction site was thought of as a pipe dream, but now there are several companies around the world that are making it a reality. It still may be years away from being adopted in a large scale, but the industry should begin to take note of the technological changes that are happening around them.

Robotics isn’t the only construction item that made headlines last year, there have also been advances in construction materials, Augmented and Mixed Reality, smart sensors, and RFIDs.

Below is our list of the best advances in construction technology from 2017:

Getting your communications right is critical on any construction site. For effective planning and coordination, for efficient management of different teams and for health and safety, having a reliable means of keeping everyone in touch at all times is essential.

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